Adjustable louver assembly for discharge outlets



May 29, 1951 c. ROMANO 2,555,009

ADJUSTABLE LOUVER ASSEMBLY FOR DISCHARGE OUTLETS Filed Aug. l2, 1948 Inventor: Claude Rom emo,

His Attorney.

Patented May 279, 1951 ADJUSTABLE LOUVER ASSEMBLY FOR DISCHARGE OUTLETS Claude Romano, Irvington, N. J., assgnor to General Electric Company', a corporation of New York Application August 12, 1948, Serial No. 43,866

Claims. l

My invention relates to air circulating apparatus or the like and more particularly to adjustable louvers or similar devices for selectively determining the direction at which air is discharged from an outlet.

The effective distribution of air in an air conditioned room depends upon the location of the discharge outlet of the air conditioner and also upon the shape of the room and the arrangement of the furniture or fixtures. Obviously, it is not always possible to locate the discharge outlet so that air flowing directlyforward therefrom will produce the most effective distribution of air in the room. It is, therefore, desirable that an arrangement be provided so that the air may be discharged not only forward but also laterally at a selected angle to the face of the outlet. Furthermore, in the case of self-contained air conditioning units which may be moved to different positions in a room, it is desirable that th-e device for determining the direction of discharge of the air be of simple construction land quickly adjustable. Accordingly, it is an object of my invention to provide an air deflecting assembly for air circulating apparatus or the like having an improved arrangement for directionally controlling the flow of air through a discharge outlet. It is another object of my invention to provide an air deecting assembly for air circulating apparatus or the like having an improved arrangement for changing in unison the positions of a large number of vanes or louvers thereby selectively determining the direction of the ow of air through a discharge outlet.

Further objects and advantages of my invention will become apparent as the following description proceeds and the features of novelty which characterize my invention will be pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this specification.

For a better understanding of my invention, reference may be had to the accompanying drawing in which Fig. 1 is a top plan View of an air conditioning unit having a defiecting assembly embodying my invention, a portion of the unit being broken away to show the deflecting assembly; Fig. 2 is a sectional view on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a sectional view on the line 3 3 0f Fig. l; Figs. 4, 5 and 6 are diagrammatic views of the deflecting assembly of Fig. 1 with the louvers shown in three different positions.

Referring now to the drawing, in Figs. 1, 2 and s I have shown an air conditioning unit III of the self-contained type. This unit comprises a cabinet II within which are arranged the usual refrigerating and` air circulating mechanisms (not shown). A plenum chamber I2 is located in the upper portion of the cabinet II and air enters the chamber through a blower discharge opening i3. The airis then discharged into the room through a front outlet I 4 and two side outlets I5 and I6 in the walls of the cabinet about the plenum chamber I2. Each of the outlets I4, I5 and I6 is provided with a set of horizontal louvers, as indicated at Il, I8 and I9, respectively; these louvers act to maintain the air discharge streams in relatively flat zones determined by the positions of the fiat areas of the louvers.

In unit air conditioning apparatus of the general type referred to above, it is desirable to provide adjustable louvers or similar devices for directionally controlling the ow of air through the discharge outlets. Accordingly, air deflecting assemblies 28, 2| and 22 are provided adjacent outlets I4, I5 and I6, respectively, for providing directional control of the air discharge streams. The air deflecting assembly 20, for example, comprises a shaft 23 having a plurality of parallel louvers 26 in the form of flat plates rigidly secured thereto at spaced intervals and in alignment along the shaft. The louvers 26 are mounted at an angle with respect to the axis of shaft 23 selected to secure the desired maximum deflection of the air. The shaft is mounted adjacent outlet I immediately behind horizontal louvers I1, it being journalled in mounting brackets 24 and 25. The mounting brackets 2B and 25 are secured in any suitable manner, as by welding, to the top of the air conditioning unit l0. Rotation of the shaft 23 varies the angular relationship of the louvers 26 with respect to the face of the outlet i4, thereby shifting the direction of discharge of air through the outlet I4. 'The assemblies 2I and 22 for directing the flow of air through outlets I5 and I5, respectively, are of the same construction as the assembly 20. Assembly ZI comprises a shaft 21, which is located adjacent outlet I5 immediately behind horizontal louvers I8 on mounting brackets 2li and 28 and is provided with louvers 29; similarly, assembly 22 comprises a shaft 30, which is located adjacent outlet IB immediately behind horizontal louvers I9 on mounting brackets 25 and 3l and is provided with louvers 32.

In order that the angular positions of the louvers of the several assemblies may be changed in unison to direct the air stream toward different selected portions of the enclosure to be conditioned, the shafts are geared together for rotation. The gearing comprises bevel gears 33 and 34 which are mounted adjacent the ends of shaft 23 and are in meshed engagement with the bevel gears 35 and 36, respectively; the latter gears being attached adjacent the forward. ends of the shafts 2T and 30. It is apparent from this arrangement, as clearly shown in Fig. 1, that rotation of one shaft is readily transmitted by the bevel gear connections to the other shafts. A manually adjustable control knob 31 is operatively connected to the shaft 23. This knob may be adjusted to revolve the shaft 23, and thus the shafts and 30, into any desired position, thereby positioning the three sets. of louvers in unison. Suflicient friction is provided between the shafts and the mounting brackets to retain the shafts in any selected positions.

During the operation of the air conditioning unit I0, conditioned air will flow vertically through the discharge opening I3, strike the top of plenum chamber l2, and be deflected generally towards the outlets I4, I and I6. The louvers provided for each outlet to directionally control the now of the air stream therethrough vare attached to the shafts 23, 21 and 30 of the assemblies 2l, 2| and 22, respectively, in angular positions of approximately 45 degrees so that rotation of the shafts by 1.80 degrees will vary the angular relationship of the louvers with respect to the outlets from a predetermined angle in one direction to the same predetermined angle in an opposite direction. This angular range. depends upon the angles at which the louvers are attached to the shafts. For instance, with the louvers forming angles of 45 degrees with the shafts, the angular range of discharge will vary from about l5 degrees in one direction to about 45 degrees in an opposite direction upon a I8() degree rotation of the shafts. Similarly, with the louvers at 30 degree angles, the discharge range will vary from about 60 degrees in one direction to about 60 degrees in an opposite direction. As clearly shown in Figs. 4 and 6, the three sets of louvers are arranged so that when the front louvers 25 are directed laterally at each extreme of the discharge range the louvers 29 and 32 are parallel thereto.

With the louvers positioned at one extreme of the angular discharge range, as shown in Figs. l and 4, flowing through plenum chamber I2 will be discharged diagonally at an angle of approximately 4.5 degrees to the cabinet walls. Relatively litt-io air will be discharged through the outlet Iii as the louvers face the air stream. The tendency of the air flowing along this outlet is to be deflected towards the front; however, some air will be discharged near the rear end of the outlet and some outside air will be drawn into the plenum chamber I2 at the front end thereof. rlhe directional discharge of the air stream with the louvers in the above positions is indicated by the arrows in Fig. 4. Now assume that the control knob 3I is rotated by 90 degrees from the position shown in Fig. I. This acts to revolve the louver assemblies in unison, due to the bevel gear connections, to the positions shown in Fig. 5. With the louvers in these positions, the air stream will discharge substantially straight through the outlets Ill, I5 and I6, as indicated by the arrows in Fig. 5. If now the control knob is rotated by 180 degrees from the position shown in Fig. l, the louvers will assume the positions shown in Fig. 6 which are at the other extreme of the angular discharge range in an opposite direction from the positions shown in Fig. 4. With the louvers in these positions, the air stream will discharge diagonally through the outlets I4 and IB in an angular direction of approximately 45 degrees to the cabinet walls, as indicated by the arrows in Fig. 6. Relatively little air will be discharged through the outlet l5, as the louvers face the air stream thereby tending to deilect the air flowing along this outlet towards the front. From the foregoing, it is readily apparent that I have provided a simply constructed arrangement for directionally controlling the iiow of air through discharge outlets of air circulating apparatus. Furthermore, the construction of the louver assemblies as disclosed herein makes it unnecessary to. provide multiple links or other complicated devices for moving the louvers in unison and for retaining them in position.

While I have shown a particular form of my invention in connection with an air conditioning unit, other modifications will readily be apparent to those skilled in the art, and I do not, therefore, desire my invention to be limited to the particular construction described and illustrated, and I intend in the accompanying claims to cover all modifications within the spirit and scope of my invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent. of the United States is:

i. In an. air circulating apparatus or the like having an air outlet opening, air deecting means for selectively controlling the direction of the discharge of air from said outlet opening, said means including a plurality oi' parallel louvers arranged in alignment and mounted in spaced relation adjacent said opening, and means for rotating said louvers in unison about a common axis extending transversely through said louvers and laterally of the air path through said opening, said louvers being mounted at an angle to said axis whereby rotation of said louvers varies the direction of discharge of air from said opening.

2. In an air circulating apparatus or the like having an air outlet opening, an air deflecting assembly for selectively controlling the direction of the discharge of air from said outlet opening, said assembly including a shaft mounted for rotation adjacent the opening and extending transversely of the air path therethrough, and a plurality of parallel louvers mounted in spaced relation along said shaft, said louvers being arranged in alignment and extending at an angle to said shaft whereby rotation of said shaft varies the direction of discharge of air from said opening.

3. In an air circulating apparatus or the like having an air outlet opening, air deecting means for selectively controlling the direction of the discharge of air through said opening, said means including a rotatably mounted shaft extending across said opening and a plurality of parallel louvers mounted in spaced relation along said shaft, said louvers being arranged in alignment and each of said louvers extending at an angle to said shaft whereby rotation of said shaft varies the direction of air discharged from said opening, means for selectively rotating said shaft, and means for frictionally retaining said shaft in any selected position.

4. An air circulating apparatus or the like having, in combination, a plurality of air outlets, a rotatable shaft mounted adjacent each of said outlets and extending transversely of the .air-path therethrough, said shafts being operatively connected for imparting rotation of one of said shafts to each of the other of said shafts, a set of spaced parallel louvers attached in xed angular positions to each of said shafts and the louversin each of said shafts being arranged in alignment along their respective one of said shafts, and means operatively connected to one of said shafts for selectively determining the position of all of said shafts and said louvers to lcontrol the direction of discharge of air from said outletski 5. An air deflecting assembly to be associated with an air outlet opening of an air conditioning apparatus or the like comprising an elongated member having a plurality of spaced parallel louvers attached thereto in xed angular positions and arranged in alignment with one another longitudinally thereof, and means for mounting said member adjacent the air outlet with its longitudinal axis extending across Ithe path of air discharge therethrough and for rotation on its longitudinal axis whereby said louvers may be positioned to direct' the discharged air at predetermined angles from said opening.

CLAUDE ROMANO.

REFERENCES CITED The followingdfreferences are of record in the 10 le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

